School board hopes to extend current millage

by TANIAH TUDORPress Argus-Courier Staff

Wednesday

May 29, 2013 at 10:20 AM

Officials from Mountainburg School District hope to extend the current millage to pay for new maintenance projects.

Mountainburg has been approved for a state matching grant totaling about $4.7 million to pay for updates and maintenance projects at the district’s elementary, middle and high schools, said Superintendent Dennis Copeland.

Mountainburg Schools will pay 34 percent of the project costs, totaling about $1.6 million. The projects at the three schools include plumbing, roofing, electrical, and heating and air-conditioning.

To pay for the basic maintenance, school officials are hoping to extend the current 39.1 millage to cover a new bond that will pay off two bonds currently owned by the school and the district’s portion of the new construction costs, Copeland said.

With the current millage, the two bonds now owned by the district were set to be paid off in nine years. The new bond would extend another 11 years to garner the needed income, Copeland said.

At the Mountainburg School Board meeting May 20, members approved election documents written up by Beardsley Public Finance with First Security Bank for the extension of the millage, which will be voted on in September.

If approved, construction on the three schools will be 2013-2015, Copeland said.

Also at the May meeting, board members approved a student meal price increase of 10 cents to meet the state child nutrition requirements. Lunch prices will be raised from $1.65 to $1.75.

Pavecon was awarded the contract to repair parking lots at the high school and middle school. Repairs include patching, filling in and redoing some areas of the lots, with a cost of $40,627.74, Copeland said.

Randy Hobbs Construction was awarded a contract to cover paneling at the schools to meet the state fire code, with a project cost of $19,963, Copeland said.

Board members approved the hiring and resignations of several employees at the May meeting, as well.

New personnel are Michael McDonald for high school math, head high school boys basketball coach and assistant junior boys basketball coach; Chris Nolan as assistant high school boys basketball coach; Amanda Martin for high school English; Rosemary Johnson for high school science, Courtney Cristee for fifth grade English; Amanda West as high school counselor’s assistant; and Andrea Waller as middle school custodian.

Resignations are Carol Copeland from fourth grade teacher; Don Blanton from assistant high school boys basketball coach and high school teacher; Chris Nolan from head high school boys basketball coach; Ervin Sigler from bus driver; and Amanda West from teacher’s aide.

At the April 15 school board meeting, members approved a $900 base pay raise for licensed and classified personnel for the 2013-14 school year. Years 11 and 12 of working with the school district were added to be included in increment base increases.

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